A cursory glance at GW’s half of the box score against Duquesne Wednesday night would not seem to suggest defeat. The Colonials shot 64 percent from the floor, including hitting eight of 10 three-pointers, while getting a 25-point performance from senior Rob Diggs and double-digit outputs from four others.
But a glance at the other half, with the Dukes’ 19 offensive rebounds, 13 threes of their own and, most importantly, 88 points completes the unsuccessful picture for the Colonials, who fell 88-83 in Pittsburgh, Pa. for their sixth straight loss.
GW (6-8, 0-2 Atlantic 10) led for much of the game, taking control in the first half on a drive to the hoop by sophomore Travis King and increasing their lead on a barrage of three-pointers by senior Noel Wilmore. The Colonials led by as much as a dozen before going into halftime leading 41-34.
Then Duquesne had the hot hand after the break, scoring on four consecutive threes to commence their comeback bid while GW continued scoring on the other end.
Turnovers eventually became a problem – the Colonials had 17 compared to Duquesne’s 10 – and the Dukes began capitalizing on second chances, extending their possessions and scoring off their initial misses.
When Duquesne’s Eric Evans missed a foul shot with the Dukes up 82-80 and 49 seconds on the clock, teammate David Theis was able to emerge with the ball from a brief scrap with two Colonials, denying GW the chance to tie the game with a basket on the other end.
“We played terrific offense, we played terrific defense, we got the stops we needed,” head coach Karl Hobbs said of his team. “And then down the stretch they miss a free throw and they get the offensive rebound . Those would have given us a chance to win the game had we gotten those.”
After appearing to frustrate the Dukes with their defense for stretches of the first half, the Colonials did not fare as well in the second period. Duquesne scored 54 points in the second half, including 24 in the final three minutes.
“They’re a good basketball team and you’re just not going to hold down these guys an entire night,” Hobbs said of Duquesne, now 3-0 and tied for first in the A-10. “Right now you’ve got to say they’re the second best team in the league.”
The Colonials’ conference standing is not as pretty, as GW remains winless in two conference contests. With fans growing restless with the team’s performance and sophomore Xavier Alexander leaving the program this week, there may be added external pressure for the program to succeed. But Hobbs said he is encouraged by his team’s performance in light of the circumstances.
“I’m very proud of this basketball team and I’m very proud of the way they responded,” he said. “The great part is they believe in each other.”
And another loss, even one in which the team lost despite its best offensive display of the season, is not the end of the world, Hobbs said.
“I’m a basketball coach, not a fan, and I look at the big picture,” he said. “Am I disappointed we lost the game? Of course. You’re always disappointed when you lose a basketball game. We just have to get better at blocking out and taking care of the rebounding.”
GW continues A-10 play with a trip to Saint Louis Saturday. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m.
